Canoe Pass (2011)

Flying between Vancouver Island and Richmond, I always have a great view out my window of the river delta below between Point Grey and Steveston. This is an area that my Musqueam culture has been deeply connected to for thousands of years.

What I see are sandbars, and these change by re-braiding from season to season with the currents and the tides; this all reflects on the time of year and this is an important consideration in my culture that gathered food all summer for the long cold winters. Above and below a tree, the branches and roots very closely resemble each other, both reach out for there piece of earth, both intertwine within they’re own space; this is what the creeks and ditches resemble while I watch intently from above.

This pattern is very common in nature: paths often lead from one place or wind up in the same. This is true in geography, waterways, and human society.

The artwork of these two limited edition serigraphs is based on a public art commission for the 2010 Olympic skating oval in Richmond B.C.

These are both further explorations from two of the three designs, which are incorporated into the structural buttresses that support the building. The imagery in the artwork reflects the ever-changing Fraser River.

Incorporated within the delta theme are heron motifs. The contours are revealed by salmon motifs in the foreground. Richmond has chosen the heron as it ambassador; herons have chosen the delta as they’re home for countless generations.

“Canoe Pass” is the name for the middle arm, which separates Lulu Island from Sea Island.

Susan began making limited edition prints on her kitchen table in 1981 while working as a legal secretary. She received several early commissions, which established her reputation for innovative proposals and for completing projects on time, on budget and at the highest level. She took courses in silver, casting and carving, all of which led to monumental sculptures in mixed media, and she was the first Northwest Coast artist to work in glass. She continues to release a number of print editions each year, but her focus has been on commissioned sculpture.